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June 1, 2016

Farmers distraught as onion selling at 50 paise per kg in Madhya Pradesh, government offers to buy at Rs 6 per kg

BHOPAL: Providing succor to distraught farmers, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced on Wednesday that government would buy onions from farmers at Rs 6 per kg.

MP had witnessed bumper production of onions this season, owing to which the wholesale rates of onion had gone as low as 50 paisa and Rs 1 per kg.

Farmers ultimately started throwing onions on roads or left it at their farms to rot.

“My heart melts for farmers as I am a farmer myself. I cannot leave them alone at this hour of distress,” said Chouhan, addressing a gathering at a Gram Uday programme, near Bhopal.

Several farmers protested outside collector’s office at Indore and threw about 5000kgs of onions on the road, as mark of protest. Similar protests were witnessed in other parts of the state including Shajapur where rates fell down to 50 paisa per kg.

Since then farmers growing onions had been protesting and demanding the state government to come forward to provide relief.

“Last year when there was acute shortage of onions, state government conducted raids at different places to bring down the prices. This year when farmers could not even realize the investment they made in fields government should come forward to help them out of distress,” said Dilip Patidar, a farmer.

According to an estimate of the state government, productivity of onions has exceeded 13 crore quintals this season. Area of sowing too had increased from 1.5 lakh hectares in 2015 to 5 lakh hectares this year.